


273 Memory Lane, Hell

by risingfire17



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor is Bad at Feelings (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor's memories, Cinnamon Roll Charlie Magne, F/M, Flustered Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Human Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Like kind of beginning of romance if you squint, Minor Alastor/Charlie Magne, Redemption, Soft Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Tsundere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:53:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27199444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/risingfire17/pseuds/risingfire17
Summary: Charlie won't stop insisting that Alastor is redeemable, so he decides to show her all the reasons he's not.
Relationships: Alastor/Charlie Magne
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	273 Memory Lane, Hell

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Brief reference to past sexual assault

“I’m not giving up on you, Alastor!” The Radio Demon could feel the final straw that kept him from lunging at Charlie from fraying.

It had already been an eventful day, what with the first actual ascension from the hotel. He wouldn’t have believed it had he not seen it for himself! This pipe dream of hers actually worked! Demons could actually redeem themselves and pass on to Heaven! This changed everything! Weaklings previously under the thumbs of their lords could redeem themselves and escape! Entire territories could collapse due to depopulation! Oh, the power struggle that would arise would be riveting, something Alastor hadn’t seen since his early days in Hell! He simply _had_ to get home to plot his strategy for this exciting new game!

But here stood the girl who’d start the revolution, worrying about ridiculous ideas like his own salvation! At first it had been laughable; her hopeless optimism could be adorable sometimes! Ah, it was her brand of entertainment that kept him invested in this place! But he’d already had his fill of laughing, already pulled the “dollface, this is my playground, why would I ever want to leave” line, and the “there’s no redemption for me, my dear” line. He’d done his absolute best to redirect her to the wayward souls that actually had a chance of Heaven. But still she pushed him, and he could feel irritation burning at the edges of his smile.

“I know about your past, Alastor. But I refuse to believe that means you don’t have a chance at Heaven! No one thought any of us were redeemable before today! But now, you’re no less redeemable than anyone else here!” And there it was. That final straw had snapped. The Radio Demon smiled wider, baring his fangs. He turned to face the tiny, soft, fair-haired princess and her big hopeful eyes.

“You know my past, do you, my dear?” He asked with a sinister undertone.

“Um, well, I know of it, the stories and such, but—”

“Well love, you must have heard wrong!” He replied cheerfully before letting his voice lower and darken. “Because if you’d heard right, you’d never bark up this charred old tree with such silly notions.” He raised a finger to her lips before she could rebut. “Now, how about I show you?”

If he were a kinder demon, he’d take pity on the girl’s obvious naivete. However, he’d not attained his place in Hell through pity, and she needed to understand that. She had to learn to keep her distance from some demons, and those who broke minds and lives seeking power just to watch the world burn were at that top of that list! But let one not think he was doing this for her. No, no, no, he was simply irritated, and it had been far too long since he had planted horrible visions in someone’s mind!

“Feast your eyes on the truth of the demon you wish to save!” He chose his images carefully. Sharing memories was an intimate matter that must be handled with care, after all! Must be careful what he revealed, especially to one he planned to let live afterward! He couldn’t break her mind either. Needed someone to clear the ranks of Hell so the next war could start, preferred to keep himself off her parents’ blacklist, and such. No, no, he’d merely give her a healthy dose of fear, prune some unnecessary fantasies to nourish a healthy working relationship!

He smirked as she squeezed her eyes shut, as if she could block out the images! _Oh no, dear girl, you are going to watch a few more pictures of Old Alastor ruthlessly slaughtering your fellow citizens!_ Ooh, there was the time he’d made the sky rain blood and danced in it! That had been such fun! And really, what else was there to do after killing that many at once? Their fault for ganging up on him like uncivilized brutes! Oh, that razor blade had been his favorite; he’d been absolutely devastated when it’d been lost! Ah, those nostalgic days of blood carnage, before he’d stored up enough memories to break one bloodlessly with his radio waves!

The girl’s eyes were still shut tight, though she no doubt knew by now it was futile. Her teeth were gritted, her tiny hands clung desperately to her skull, and her spindly legs quivered, about to give out under her. Soon he’d have to relent; she was of such fair means after all, like….

No! Not that memory! But it was too late. They watched his slaughter of that butcher who’d assaulted a low-level demon. That creature had been so weak; it may have been kinder to kill her off before it happened to her again. But the Radio Demon wasn’t kind. He just got annoyed easily. And those who only played easy games annoyed him to no end! But it was clear the girl was getting the wrong idea, because she stood straighter and stopped quivering so much. No matter, a careless, but easily redeemable mistake!

“I really don’t like cowards,” he drawled over the radio static. “They remind me too much of my own humble beginnings, when all I could do was lash out at those weaker than myself. Tsk, tsk, pathetic.” His grin returned as he told her “I think I’ll give you a rare treat and let you see.”

He hadn’t planned to show her his human memories, but what the hell? It was a special day! Let her hear the terrified cries of his fragile victims as he stripped them down for slaughter! Let her see their fruitless fight, the blood coursing from their throats and the light leave their wide, delicate eyes when it was all over! Such unrefined beginnings indeed, but they illustrated that he was tainted from birth and not to be trifled with! The girl was once again on the verge of collapse, so he’d daresay they’d done their job! A few pictures of his classier works and he’d call it a day!

And then Charlie’s eyes sprang open and settled eerily on him. His victims weren’t supposed to be able to see him when they were lost in his illusions. Was this the power of Lucifer’s daughter? No matter. She’d never be a match for him.

Though his smirk was forced from his face when she threw herself at him with enough force to knock them both down. He was stunned at the sheer idiocy of such a pathetic attack! Although, strangely, she didn’t try to hit or stab or in any way hurt him, but rather…she clung to him, her tears generating warmth on his chest. He hadn’t seen an action like this since his human years, and never experienced it directly. If he was correct in his guess, it was some form of comfort-seeking behavior. Of course little Charlie would pull such a pointless human move! Alastor couldn’t decide whether he was irritated or charmed.

“Um, sweetheart, when a big, bad demon frightens you, it’s not best to run to that same demon to ease your fears.”

She just wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. “I don’t care,” she choked out over her sobs. “I told you; I’m not giving up on you!” Alastor wasn’t used to so much touching, and it was an odd warm sensation. Though all his fire of irritation had burned out, leaving only bewilderment at her persistence.

“My dear,” he started, his voice soft and clear without the mic which had fallen out of reach when she pushed them down. “Do you not…fear me?” Though there was no way she could not, he found himself genuinely curious as he waited for her answer.

“Yes. I’m terrified of what you’ve done. What you can do.”

“Then why do you not take my offer and work with me from a safe distance?”

“Most of the demons here have done things that scare me. But I can’t run away just because I’m afraid. They’re all redeemable. I’ll continue to believe in every demon, even if I’m the only one who believes in them.” She set her jaw and stared at him with fire in her eyes. To have that kind of strength to her after what he’d put her mind through was remarkable. Stronger demons than herself had fallen prey to his terrors with far less effort on his part.

“Besides, even you hate to be reminded of your worst crimes. Y-you regret them, Alastor. You prevent others from repeating them. That’s proof. You’re not irredeemable.” She held his gaze, but she shook like a leaf in his arms. She must know she risked inciting an anger there was no protecting herself from, ally or not. Alastor didn’t know if she was brave or simply unintelligent. But, for the time being, he couldn’t muster up enough annoyance to want to hurt her.

He scooped her up and began to set her on the couch. “For now, get some rest, my dear. You’ve had a long day, and tomorrow you’ve got to tell the media all about it! That Katie will kill your joy better than I ever could!” He stopped chuckling at his own joke when he saw her still trembling, reminiscent of scenes he’d seen before. But this time was different. He couldn’t kill her to block out the sounds of her weakness. He couldn’t slaughter her tormenter to make it stop. And, he already _had_ stopped; she was merely experiencing the aftereffects. He’d not much considered those before, but now, well, he couldn’t let them ruin his little star the night before her big debut, right?

He retrieved his fallen mic. “You know, I can show you other things with these waves. No, no, not like before,” he reassured when her eyes widened in terror. He tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. “Sweet things to help you sleep.” After a moment she hesitantly nodded, after all there was not much else she could do in her sorry state. He showed her a memory he’d never shared with anyone before, smiles and twirls to piano waltzes, the warmth of honeyed brandy, the soft pit-pattering of raindrops outside, elegant gowns soft enough to lay on like mattresses. Alastor kept his focus on this memory of the party and not what had happened after. Charlie’s eyes drooped and she settled.

Well, now Alastor knew he had the ability to transmit these kinds of memories, as well as the nightmares, though why he’d ever do so again was beyond him. This was, in all honesty, a pointless experiment. He had a war to plan. Besides, he should let Charlie rest. He moved to stand but was stopped by her tiny warm hand on his.

“Please don’t go,” came her soft whisper. “Not yet.” Her eyes were wide and desperate. Right now, she'd probably do anything he said if it meant he wouldn’t leave her alone for the mere minutes it would take her to fall asleep. Thus was the power of his nightmares.

It was a fantastic opportunity to seal the deal she’d refused when he first came to the hotel. Her soul could be his. But, taking that from her in this weak moment seemed like a distastefully easy game. Besides, he wanted to see what else this strangely optimistic girl was capable of. He was willing to bet that, given the right opportunity, she would turn Hell upside down.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, darling,” he whispered in her ear as the lullaby continued to play. “I’ll stay as long as you need.”

**Author's Note:**

> The 273 in the title address came from ARD (For Alastor Radio Demon) in T9


End file.
